Imports Expected To Climb 20 Percent in China

SHANGHAI, China — Imports of vehicles into China are expected to climb 20 percent to 420,000 units this year, an industry insider has said. Of the sectors, sport-utility vehicles contributed the most to the growth. Last year, SUV imports rose 37 percent and accounted for 54.8 percent of total imported vehicles.

Auto imports began to rebound in the second half of last year, thanks to a recovering Chinese economy and higher demand in second- and third-tier cities, said Ding Hongxiang, chairman of China Automobile Trading Co.

"We have seen notable sales growth in Shaanxi, Hebei and Inner Mongolia," Ding said. "The rising economic strength in smaller cities has generated consumption power, which will bring significant growth to the overall imported vehicle market."....More